Ship to Wreck

11

Christian watched Athena sleep soundly while he tossed and turned . . . He didn't want to leave her alone in bed, unprotected, but he needed air. He needed to take a few deep breaths . . . alone.

She was out. He knew that. She drank, and she didn't really seem to handle alcohol well based on his limited experiences with her. She wouldn't wake before the sun. There was no way.

He took the first of many deep breaths and crawled out of bed. Athena had already separated from him, isolated on the other end, cozily snuggled into his pillows. If she were still in his arms, he would have stayed. But she wasn't. And he wasn't the man she wanted; he knew that for sure now.

Gio was. Athena could see herself falling in love with Gio. She said so herself.

And then she said the word to him. Love. I love you. It left her lips. Lips that pressed against his. Perfect, full, soft lips. Lips that made him actually feel something.

Christian Yelich didn't feel things outside of a baseball stadium. This was all new. Terrifying and new.

"She doesn't want you. You're her friend," Christian whispered to himself in the kitchen, shaking his head as he poured himself a glass of water and chugged it quickly.

He needed to get back to her, even if she only needed him for protection . . . It was something.

And he'd take what he could get.

***

"I'm going over to Gio's for dinner," Athena informed Christian, as she reached for her keys and threw them in her purse. "Do you need anything before I go?" she asked, brushing a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. Even the smallest gesture from her could make Christian's heart race. He was honestly starting to forget what life felt like before her . . . Was it better or worse? He thought maybe it was a mix of both.

"I, uh, no – I'm good," he responded awkwardly, nodding his head. "Just text before you leave his place?" he requested softly, nervously squeezing his hands into fists.

"Of course," she said with a smile, taking a step toward him and hugging him goodbye. She smiled at the security of his embrace. He really did make her feel safe and sound in a way she didn't fully understand.

She had absolutely no idea what her touch did to him, even when the contact epitomized friend zone, Christian Yelich's new permanent place of residence.

***

"How weird would it be if I licked my plate?" Athena asked with a laugh as she finished her last bite of lasagna. "That was incredible. You're an amazing cook."

Gio matched her laugh. "I'd honestly be really into that," he joked, standing up to take her plate to the sink. "Dessert?" he asked with a broad smile.

"You made dessert?" she questioned, her tone even more impressed than before. "A man has never made me dinner . . . And now you're pulling out dessert, too? You'll never be bested, Gio Gonzalez."

"Wait, not a single home-cooked meal from a guy?" Gio asked in disbelief. "You dated someone for seven years, and not a single dinner?"

"No dinner," Athena said, continuing to smile to stop herself from thinking too hard about Kyle. She stood up and walked over to Gio in an attempt to help him with dishes. "What did you make for dessert?" she changed the subject.

"Arroz con leche," Gio said, his eyes sparkling when they met Athena's, and Athena couldn't help but bite her lip at how a single look could make her feel. It had been so long since she felt like this . . . Since she felt much of anything other than pain.